


White Flag

by Dearly_Divided



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kind of fluffy, Mentions of past abuse, Not quite an AU, Past Rape/Non-con, Polyseed (Far Cry), Possessive Seeds, Protective Seeds, Soft Seeds, Sweet-ish, Unhealthy Relationships, but in an unhealthy way?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 23:52:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19038109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dearly_Divided/pseuds/Dearly_Divided
Summary: He smiled kindly down at her, but there was something unforgiving and vicious in his eyes, a cold fury that he couldn’t quite hide.“What my brother means to say, my dear, is that someone hurt you badly. It’s eating away at you - you tried to bury the trauma, ignore it in the hopes that it’ll make things better. I know from experience, it won’t. If you want to heal, darling, truly heal, you need to confess. Tell me what happened, confess to me and free yourself of the fear and pain. Confess, and I promise whoever hurt you will be punished for what they did.”





	White Flag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [veroreos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/veroreos/gifts).



> Written for the lovely @veroreos

Rook should have known better than to think she could just waltz on up to John Seed’s ranch and knock on the door like it was no big deal. She should have known this was a stupid, risky plan.

Sharky had spent the entire morning reminding her of that, begging her not to go through with it, but what choice did she have? If Joseph was telling the truth, how could she say no? 

In all fairness, it was her own fault for giving John the idea. He’d radioed her the day before after she’d managed to evade his incoming capture party and blow up a silo on her way through the valley.

_“Deputy, I’m growing tired of our little game of cat and mouse. Tell me, my dear, what will it take for you to hand yourself over to me and my brothers?”_

Granted, spending the morning being chased halfway across the county by his chosen hadn’t exactly put her in the best mood, and her response was probably not the smartest thing to say to the man who was _at best_ mildly obsessed with bringing her to atonement through whatever means necessary. Or, as Sharky had so eloquently put it, ‘Dude has a hard on for you’.

 _“Hm, that’s a tough one, Johnny. How ‘bout you let my friends go, stop drugging, kidnapping, torturing and murdering innocent people and then we’ll talk. Until then, kindly fuck right off.”_  

She hadn’t spared it another thought as she, Sharky and Boomer raced into the Henbane to answer Whitehorse’s call for help. 

It must have been an hour or so past midnight when her radio cackled the life beside her. 

“ _Are you awake, my child_?” 

Rook didn’t need to look over to make sure Sharky was asleep, she could hear his snoring just fine from her bed on the opposite side of the room. Still, it was rare for Joseph himself to radio in and Rook found herself curious to hear what he had to say, especially so late in the night. She knew it would take more than a whispered conversation to wake her companion up, but nevertheless she slipped from the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

“ _Isn’t it a little late for a bed-time call, Joseph_?” she teased.

He laughed warmly at that, throwing her off kilter. To be honest Rook wasn’t entirely sure Joseph was capable of humour, much less genuine laughter and especially where she was concerned. He always seemed so serious and disapproving of her attempts to dismantle his tightening hold on the County.

“ _My brother told me an interesting story today, Deputy. Surely you must be tired of fighting against us, against what you refuse to see as the truth? You cannot win, your efforts are futile, and you only risk hurting yourself and those you so foolishly align yourself with if you continue_.” 

Rook sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly, “ _Is there a point to this, Joseph? Or can I go back to sleep?”_

There was a short pause on the other end of the line. “ _I have an offer for you, Rook. An exchange, if you will.”_

_“…Go on.”_

“ _Give yourself to me, accept your place at our side and in return your friends will be freed_.”

Three lives for one, it was hardly a fair exchange. How could she say no? What was the difference between delivering herself into the hands of her enemies to save them or dying in the attempt anyway? She couldn’t give a fuck about Burke one way or the other, especially after he’d left her to not once but _twice_ , but she damn well owed it to Joey and Staci.

Which was how she ended up on John Seed’s doorstep, unarmed and alone, arms raised in surrender. There wasn’t a soul in sight, which should have tipped her off that something wasn’t right, but she’d sent Sharky and Boomer away in a show of good faith, maybe the Seeds had done the same. 

It only occurred to her that she had absolutely no proof that the Seeds had any intention of following through with their end of the bargain as she felt the all too familiar sting of a Bliss bullet hitting her in the shoulder.

Distantly she heard Sharky scream her name and the sound of rapid footsteps approaching, but the Bliss dragged her into unconsciousness before she could do anything about it. 

xxx

Rook had come out of a Bliss induced sleep enough times to recognise the signs. The grogginess swimming through her head, the heaviness in her limbs, the faint taste of floral decay on her tongue.

Wherever she was it felt… soft, silky – a bed, she was almost sure of it.

That was _new_ and strangely more terrifying than the cold, unforgiving metal of Jacob’s cages or the chafing of rope binding her to whatever chair happened to be nearby. But none of that was as telling as the scent that surrounded her; citrus, smoke and pine. She’d spent more than enough time in uncomfortably close quarters with John Seed not to have the strange aroma seared into her memory.

Before she had a chance to confirm her suspicions the sound of approaching footsteps forced her into stillness. She fought to relax, to even out her breathing and appear for all intents and purposes like she was still unconscious.

The footsteps paused at the foot of the bed.

_Breathe, Rook._

A low chuckle sounded, “C’mon pup, you and I both know you’re awake.” 

Rook cracked a single eye open to find Jacob Seed staring down at her with amusement written clear as day across his scarred face. 

“There’s a good girl. Enjoy your nap?” he smirked, and Rook was almost certain that if she had the dexterity, she would have reached out to slap it off of his face, consequences be damned. 

Instead she fixed him with a glare. “Come to gloat?” she asked.

Jacob’s smirk just widened. “Nah, Joseph sent me to bring you downstairs. We’re gonna have a good old-fashioned _family_ meeting. Think you can walk, Dep, or do you need me to carry you?”

He was enjoying this far too much. 

“I can walk just fine, thank you very much,” she growled, rolling herself over so she could plant her feet on the ground and stand. She managed that well enough, but the moment she went to take a step her legs turned to jelly and she stumbled. Jacob was by her side in an instant, one arm wrapped around her waist to steady her.

“Easy, pup.”

Rook didn’t have much of a choice but to let Jacob guide her through the Ranch to where John, Joseph and Faith were waiting for her. She’d surrendered herself of her own free will, but somehow that walk still felt like a march to the executioner’s block.

God only knew what she’d gotten herself into.

The moment they entered the living room, Rook’s eyes found Joseph, sitting calmly in one of the armchairs that littered the room, Faith standing behind him while John sat to his side. “Where are they? Tell me they’re safe or I swear to god I will-“

Joseph cut her off with a single hand raised in the air. “Your friends are safe,” he confirmed. “They’ve been returned to the hands of your resistance at Falls end, as I promised they would be.”

Rook snorted. “And I’m supposed to just take your word for that?” she asked as Jacob deposited her in the love seat opposite from Joseph, settling in next to her. Rook tensed as his arm reached behind her to rest on the back of the couch, but he made no move to touch her beyond that.

Almost imperceptibly behind those yellow sunglasses of his, Joseph’s eyes narrowed. “I may be many things, Rook, but I am not a liar. I’ve made no attempts to hide my desire for you to accept your place with us _willingly_. Losing a few of our prospective members is a small price to pay to have you here.” He regarded her for a moment and sighed, “But no, I don’t expect you to take me at my word. I can radio Miss Fairgrave and have her confirm it for?”

She was so tempted to say yes, but after a long moment she shook her head. She wasn’t entirely sure Joseph was lying to her or not, but the horrifying truth of the matter was that knowing one way or the other wouldn’t change anything. 

Whether or not Joey, Staci and Burke were indeed safe or lying dead at the bottom of a pit, Rook was there in the heart of Seed territory, she’d handed herself over like a gift, without a second thought. She didn’t think she could bear it if she was wrong. For the first time, Rook prayed that Joseph Seed was a man of his word.

Joseph smiled, and Rook had the sinking suspicion that now they had her, she wouldn’t be getting away so easily. No, the time for games of cat and mouse were over and done. She’d made her bed, it was time to lie in it. 

“So what happens now?”

Joseph glanced at his siblings, standing from his seat. In a matter of seconds he’d crossed the floor to stand before her. With gentle hands he cupped her cheeks and leant down to press his forehead against hers. His eyes fluttered shut as Rook’s heart began to pound painfully against her chest.

“Now, you accept your place with us, as the Lord intended.”

xxx

Rook wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t this. When Joseph had made his grand speech about Rook joining their family, she’d expected _something_. 

Instead, Joseph seemed strangely content to let her go about her day as she pleased. She was confined to the Ranch unless she was in the company of one of the Seeds, which didn’t surprise her. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that even if she couldn’t always see them, Rook was constantly being watched.

But she wasn’t restrained, and that was…unexpected, to say the least. 

She’d thought that there would be some plan to convert her, whether it was Jacob’s indoctrination or John’s atonement or fuck, even Faith’s Bliss, but Joseph was adamant that she had nothing to fear from them, that she was safe so long as she remained where she belonged – a reassurance and warning in one.

For the most part, Rook spent her days alone. Since she’d moved in, Jacob, Joseph and Faith had also taken up residence in the Ranch, the only place large enough to comfortably house all five of them. Even with her own surrender, however misguided, they still had their own work to do. The resistance hadn’t given up just because their mascot had turned herself in, quite the opposite.

Despite that, a strange sort of routine began. 

Rook always, _always_ had breakfast with Joseph. He left early most days, not as early as Jacob, but early enough that Rook wanted to throw a book at his head whenever he knocked on her door to rouse her for the day, their breakfast already cooked and waiting for them on the table. Trying to eat any kind of food while those blue eyes silently bored into her from across the dining room table was challenging at the best of times.

Still, Rook managed not to flinch when he brought his lips to her forehead, wishing her a good day before he took his leave.

Like clockwork John came back to the ranch for lunch every day. It didn’t matter how busy he claimed to be, he always swaggered in, dragging her away from whatever she’d managed to immerse herself in to spend time with him. Out of all of his siblings, John demanded the most of her attention. He liked a captive audience, and more often than not Rook found herself unwillingly being drawn against him as they ate, having to force back her shudders as he talked about his mornings of Baptisms and blood like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Faith came and went as she pleased, flitting in and out of the ranch like she owned the place, but she usually tried to make time for Rook - ‘Sisterly bonding’ as Faith had put it, beaming as she pulled Rook down to sit beside her, passing her a cup of herbal tea. 

Somehow that was more terrifying than anything else the Seeds had thrown at her. 

Jacob left before Joseph woke her in the morning, and he was usually the last in of a night. He made up for his absence by radioing her at odd times of the day to ‘check in’. Sometimes it almost felt like nothing had changed with her relationship with Jacob, except instead of radioing her to tell her how she was weak and straying from her path he called in to… well Rook didn’t really know how to categorize Jacob’s calls. He seemed to use her as a sounding board more than anything else, and Rook couldn’t help but wonder whether he just liked hearing the sound of her voice, even if it was just a stiff greeting followed by an occasional yes or no thrown in for good measure. She’d learnt early on that Jacob did not appreciate being ignored in the slightest.

Dinners were another story entirely. It was the one meal that Joseph was adamant they shared as a family. There weren’t enough words in the English language to accurately describe the level of awkwardness those meals brought about. Rook might not have had chains around her wrists, but she knew she was nevertheless a prisoner. She knew that while she was trapped in her gilded cage her captors were still terrorizing Hope County. She didn’t miss the blood that splattered John’s soft silk shirts, nor the scent of gunpowder that clung to Jacob like a second skin. More than once she’d seen him casually running his fingers around that damned music box of his, staring at her with that half smirk of his that never failed to set her on edge. 

They could play happily families all they liked, Rook knew they were still the bad guys, that what they were doing was reprehensible. 

It felt like she was perpetually walking around on eggshells waiting for other shoe to drop. These people had _hunted_ her across the county for what? To keep her as a glorified house pet? For all his talk of her purpose by their side, Joseph had been infuriatingly vague about what that purpose was.

_“In time, my child.”_

Rook had thought he was just being his usual irritatingly cryptic self.

From the moment she’d had the misfortune of crossing their paths, the Seeds had always had a rather blasé attitude to her personal space. It was easier for her to simply shrug off an unwanted arm that wrapped around her or lean away from a lingering touch than it was to put up a fight. Half of her was worried about what the consequences of fighting back, the other half just didn’t want to bring up the memories she’d worked so damn hard to shove down. 

It wasn’t the same.

It _wasn’t_. 

But knowing that wasn’t the same as believing it.

When Jacob pressed up behind her in the kitchen, reaching for _his_ coffee cup she did nothing but bite down on her lip and clenched her fists, unable to shrink away as he boxed her in. She counted backwards from 10 as he lingered, burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. When he pulled away and spun her around to face him all he did was give her that damned wolfish smirk of his and ask, “Something the matter, pup?” before swaggering off, leaving her shaken and breathless in the kitchen. 

It wasn’t until she fell asleep one night on the couch in the living room and woke to find herself not in her bed but in John’s, with one arm around her waist the other resting on her (thankfully clothed) thigh and his lips kissing along her neck that she realised that she’d been so very, _very_ wrong.

“John?” her voice was barely more than a whisper.

“Yes, my dear?” he purred in response, the coarse hair of his beard tickling her throat as he nuzzled against her.

She tried unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in her throat. “Let go of me.”

She felt his bare chest rumble against her back as he laughed, “Humour me, Deputy. Just for tonight. I promise to be a gentleman, hand to god.” 

She started to squirm, attempting to writhe out of his grip, but despite lacking Jacob’s defined muscles, John was surprisingly strong. His only response was to tsk in disapproval and tighten his hold, pulling her close enough to feel a very noticeable bulge pressing up against the curve of her ass. 

“But if you keep moving like that, darling, I’m not sure I’ll be able to help myself,” he growled playfully.

Rook froze, every muscle in her body tightening like a loaded spring as he chuckled and pressed one more kiss against her cheek. Her blood turned to ice as he hummed contentedly, settling back into his pillow and pulling Rook along with him.

He was asleep in minutes, but Rook found no such comfort. It was hard to sleep when her heart was pounding against her ribs and memories of other hands that gripped her too tightly wouldn’t leave her alone. 

The next morning when Joseph came to wake her and bring her for breakfast, she’d expected him to be disappointed and possibly even angry at the sight of her tangled in his brother’s arms. Instead his blue eyes had flickered between the two of them and he’d _smiled_. 

“Breakfast, Rook?”

John groaned and for the first time the whole night, relinquished his hold on Rook and rolled over, content to give up his prize to gain an extra hour or so of sleep. She practically leapt from the bed like she’d been scalded, following Joseph from the room. 

As always, the food was already waiting on the table, not a soul in sight.

“You look tired,” he observed once she’d started to pick at the eggs and bacon on her plate.

“I didn’t sleep well,” she replied in a clipped tone, pointedly staring at her plate rather than meeting his probing gaze. “Might have had something to do with John holding me hostage the entire night.” 

Joseph sighed good-naturedly, “He was perhaps a little overeager, I’ll admit, but his heart is in the right place.” He reached across the table to touch Rook’s hand, only for her to snatch it away at the last moment.  He hummed in disapproval, like she was nothing more than a misbehaving kid. “John won’t harm you, my child, none of us will. You can fight it all you like, but you _will_ accept your place in our family, in time.” 

Rook’s head snapped up, her eyes narrowing in cold fury. “And if I don’t? If I decide I’d rather not be a glorified _plaything_ to a maniac and his psychotic brothers and decide to run, what then?”

With calm patience, Joseph stood, leaning over the table to capture her jaw in his hand, holding her in place. Rook glared and he smiled, though it lacked any warmth or kindness. It was the smile of a man who’d gladly watch people die to bring about the future he’d been promised.

“I would not recommend finding out. You came here willingly, Rook, in exchange for your friends’ lives and freedoms. I will not be held responsible for what would happen to them _or_ the people of Hope County if you stray from us.”

She opened her mouth to object, but Joseph silenced any protests with his lips against hers. Any lingering vestiges of doubt regarding what Joseph believed her purpose to be with his family fled as he groaned contentedly into the one-sided kiss, his other hand coming up to cup her cheek. Eventually he pulled away, releasing her jaw and settling himself back into his seat as if nothing had happened.

“You have belonged to us since the moment you first drew breath, this was always meant to be. You are ours. Ours to love, ours to protect, ours to cherish and adore.” He smiled, as if his words were meant to soothe instead of terrify. “But I have waited years for you to come home to us, my love. I can wait a little longer.”

He returned to his breakfast, but Rook had lost her appetite. 

xxx

The Ranch was eerily quiet as Rook crept through down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. She knew that outside, countless loyal peggies patrolled, but unless an alarm was raised they’d wouldn’t set foot inside. There was no one was around to question why she was up so late while everyone else in the house slept. 

It wasn’t often that Rook had trouble sleeping, but every so often she’d have a bad night where no matter how physically and emotionally exhausted she was, sleep eluded her. 

It had actually been Faith who’d given her the tea after her taking note of the bags under her tired eyes the morning after her last sleepless night. She hadn’t said a word about it aside from assuring Rook that it was entirely Bliss free, just passed it into her hands with a soft, knowing smile. 

It helped a little, and it was better than nothing. While she would never admit as much to Faith (or herself), she actually quite liked the taste. Chamomile, apple, rose and lavender strangely worked, and the smell alone was... nice. 

She’d just finished pouring the hot water into her mug when she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching.

Rook tensed, spinning on her heel like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Leaning against the doorway with his arms folded across his _very_ bare, muscled chest was Jacob Seed, wearing nothing but a pair of striped pyjama pants and studying her with a dark, hungry eyes.

“Can’t sleep, pup?”

Rook didn’t answer him, instead watching warily as he pushed himself off the wall and made his way over to her. Her eyes darted to the doorway behind him, but there was no way of getting around him and from the smirk on his face, the bastard knew it.

“Yeah, me neither. You know,” he said, looming over her as he cornered her between the cupboards and the island. “I can help you, if you want.” He grinned, reaching out to brush his thumb against her bottom lip, chuckling as she yanked her head out of his grip. Jacob was, as always, entirely unphased by her response. “Nothing like a good, hard, _thorough_ fucking to tire you out, hm?”

He was too close, she could practically feel the heat radiating from his skin against hers. Her eyes narrowed, glaring daggers up at him as she fought the sudden and familiar panic that began to claw its way up her throat. “I am not in the mood, Jacob. Get out of my way and let me have my damned tea in peace.”

His hands slipped from the countertop to rest on her hips as he chuckled. “Don’t be like that, honey. You know I’d take care of you, I can make you see fucking stars.” He leaned down until his lips were hovering just above hers. He closed the gap, pressing his lips harshly against hers for a moment, biting down on her bottom lip as he pulled away with a satisfied growl. “I can make you feel so good if you stopped being so stubborn and just _let me_.” His left hand began to slide up her ribcage, coming to rest against the soft curve of her breast. Rook’s breath hitched, her fingers clenched so tightly in a fist she was sure her fingernails were cutting half-moon semi-circles into her palm. “Give in to me, Rook. Deep down you know this is right, this is where you belong.” He pushed one of his legs between her thighs, pushing them open. “ _This_ is your purpose.” 

The last, tenuous thread of Rook’s control snapped. Her breathing sped up, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Her muscles stopped responding to her commands, falling slack against Jacob’s hold. Her pulse was racing, and vaguely she registered the sound of Jacob calling out her name, but she wasn’t there with him anymore. Violent, painful memories cleaved their way from deep inside of her, where she’d locked them away a long, long time ago. Suddenly it wasn’t Jacob’s hands on her, but _his_ , bruising with a too tight grip as he took what he wanted with no regard for her. She’d been trapped beneath him, powerless to fight him off, unable to do anything but lie there and _beg_ for him to stop.

He’d just laughed. 

She choked on the sobs that ripped themselves from her chest. 

There were voices around her, shouting, followed by pounding footsteps and more people yelling, closer this time. 

“…Did I fucking stutter?! Wake him up, now! Both of them!” 

She was shaking, hyperventilating, and somehow she’d gone from standing beside Jacob to lying curled up in his lap on the kitchen floor. 

“Rook, honey, I need you to breathe for me, slowly.” His eyes clenched shut as he brought his forehead to hers, “I thought – _fuck_! I’m not gonna hurt you, pup. Not like that, _never_ like that.”

Lies.

“Jacob.” She registered the soft voice of Faith Seed cutting through the red haze. “Let her go, you’re not helping.”

The muscles that enveloped her constricted, sending another wave of panic rolling through her body. “Stay out of this, Faith,” he growled, running his fingers through Rook’s short hair in an effort to calm her.

A moment later Joseph and John appeared, staring down at the scene before them in dismay.

_You owe me, now be a good little slut and take it._

“Jacob, what have you done?” Disapproval and disappointment rang clear through Joseph’s words, but there was worry too and something strangely close to panic.

 _You like that, baby?_  

“I didn’t- how the fuck was I supposed to know about this?!” 

_God, you’re so fucking tight around me. You feel incredible, Rook._

“I told you to wait, Jacob, not to push her! Tell me what happened, from the beginning.”

_Aw, don’t cry. You know you wanted this. If you’re good, maybe I’ll even let you cum like the whore you are._

A pair of tattooed hands, John’s she belatedly realised, gripped her, tilting her head to meet his wide-eyed and worried stare. “Calm down darling, we’re not here to hurt you, I promise.”

_If you tell anyone about this, I’ll make you regret it. No one’s gonna believe a slut like you anyway._

“Will all of you be quiet and listen to me! Both of you need to let her go, _now_. I know you’re trying to help her, but you’re making it worse.” 

Both Jacob and John turned to Joseph, who glanced briefly at Faith before returning his own attention to Rook, still sobbing numbly in his brother’s embrace. He nodded. 

John’s hands dropped in an instant and he stepped back. Reluctantly, Jacob followed suit, easing Rook out of his arms to sit on the floor with a gentleness she hadn’t expected from him. 

Like a chain reaction, Rook felt her breathing slow, the crushing grip on her heart easing. 

Joseph crouched down in front of her, those piercing blue eyes of his flickering over her face in concern. “Can you stand, my love?”

Wordlessly she nodded. He smiled encouragingly at her. 

“Good. Come sit with me by the fire. John, grab some blankets for her. Faith, perhaps some tea?”

“I just want to go to sleep,” Rook muttered.

For a moment Rook thought that Joseph was going to fight her on it. John certainly didn’t look happy at her words, nor for that matter did Jacob.

“Please, Joseph. I can’t do this tonight,” she begged.

He sighed deeply but relented. “Of course.”

xxx

For the first time since she’d arrived at Seed Ranch, it wasn’t the sound of Joseph’s voice that woke her up, but the soft sunlight streaming in through her window. A glance at the clock on her bedside table confirmed her suspicions – it was almost 10, well after Joseph’s usual wake-up call. 

Part of her dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, Joseph had decided to give her a reprieve and allow her the day to herself, but as she entered the living room to find three of the four Seeds sitting waiting for her, she realised she should have known better.

“Good morning, Rook,” Joseph said. “How are you feeling?” 

Rook regarded the three of them with a wary expression.

“Fine,” she eventually answered, settling herself into the only available seat in the room, conveniently placed opposite Joseph, between Jacob and John. If she hadn’t wanted the earth to open and swallow her as much as she did, she might have laughed - they had all the subtlety of a tank in a china shop. 

Still, it wasn’t exactly like she could run and hide from this conversation either. Sooner or later she’d have to face what happened the night before.

Joseph, as always, took the lead. “When you gave yourself to us, I promised you would be safe, protected and loved.” His attention flickered momentarily to his older brother. “Jacob may have been… _overzealous_ last night, but it was not his intention to force you.” Behind those yellow lenses his blue eyes hardened. “I know you think us monsters, but rape is beyond abhorrent. I will not deny that my brothers and I want you, my love, because we do. However, we want you to come to us willingly, because _you_ want _us_.”

Rook scoffed, folding her arms across her chest and narrowing her eyes. “Not likely. Somehow shaking up with the people who kidnapped and tortured my friends isn’t all that high on my list of things I want to do anytime soon.” 

Beside her John huffed, shifting in his seat, but Joseph barely raised an eyebrow at her bait. “You will, in time.” He sighed, turning his gaze to John. “But that’s not important right now.” 

Of course it wasn’t. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Rook muttered, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Jacob snorted, narrowing his eyes. “Too fuckin’ bad, pup. You scared the shit out of me last night when you just shut down like that and I wanna know why.”

John stood, shooting Jacob a pointed look before he stepped in front of Rook and leaning over her like he had during her first disastrous attempt at confession. He smiled kindly down at her, but there was something unforgiving and vicious in his eyes, a cold fury that he couldn’t quite hide.

“What my brother _means_ to say, my dear, is that someone hurt you badly. It’s eating away at you - you tried to bury the trauma, ignore it in the hopes that it’ll make things better. I know from experience, it won’t. If you want to heal, darling, truly heal, you need to confess. Tell me what happened, _confess_ to me and free yourself of the fear and pain. Confess, and I promise whoever hurt you will be punished for what they did.” 

Rook bit back a scoff. “It was years ago,” she said. “Halfway across the country, what are you going to do?” 

John laughed, leaning in closer to whisper in her ear. “If you think we won’t be able to track him down, my dear, beautiful Rook, you haven’t been paying attention.” 

“And do what, bring him here so he can _atone_?” she spat the word like it was poison. “Isn’t that what you do - Set those sinners free?”

John shared a look with his brothers, but it was Jacob who answered, grinning at her with such ruthless cruelty in his eyes. “No, honey, he’ll die. It won’t be quick, or painless, but I promise he’ll beg for it by the end. Men like that are weak, and you and I both know that the weak serve no purpose.” 

Her breath felt shaky as she turned back to John, still leaning over her seat like he belonged there. “Why? Why do you care?!”

“You know why, Rook,” Joseph murmured. “You cannot run from us forever.”

Tentatively, John’s hand reached out to cup her cheek, offering a soft smile when she didn’t lurch away. His baby blue eyes were surprisingly earnest as he spoke, “Let me help you, confess to me…. _please,_ darling.”

Rook met his gaze and breathed deep. Maybe it was John’s imploring gaze, or Jacob’s promise of retribution, or maybe, just maybe, Rook was finally ready to tell the secret she’d bottled up and buried within herself to someone who’d believe her.

She licked her lips and began to speak, “I trusted him. I thought he was my friend.”

They were surprisingly patient with her as she told them everything, letting her go at her own pace. When she could barely speak from the sobs that chocked her throat, Joseph stood and walked out of the room. A brief moment later he returned, carrying a thick, heavy blanket in his arms. Without a word he wrapped the soft, warm material around her shoulders, bending over to press a chaste kiss against her forehead before returning to his seat. 

Rook lost track of time as she spoke, but eventually there was nothing left to say. She felt strangely empty, like every part of her had just been drained and all that was left was a dry husk. She could feel the weight of their stares on her, but Rook couldn’t bring herself to meet any of their eyes. Instead she focused on the rip in the knee of her jeans, waiting for one of them to break the thick, uncomfortable silence that had descended upon the room.

“Thank you,” John murmured with soft reverence, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. Rook didn’t have the energy to shiver. “I know it hurts and I know you’re in pain right now, but you did so well, my dear.” 

xxx

On the surface, nothing changed. Joseph still had breakfast with her, John always came home for lunch, Jacob radioed through the day and Faith danced in and out of the ranch at her pleasure.

And yet, while Rook couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly it was, something _had_ changed.

She felt it in the way John draped his coat over her when she shivered from the breeze at lunch one afternoon, or when Joseph carried her to her bed after she’d fallen asleep on the couch, tucking her in with a tender kiss. She felt it when Jacob sat down next to her at night, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and humming quietly. 

Sometimes it was hard for her to remember that the men who held her so lovingly were the same men who’d threatened to kill her friends to keep her by their side. 

Oh, Rook was under no allusions that she could leave, and it didn’t slip past her notice that the number of peggie guards around the ranch had doubled since her confession of sorts. But she no longer felt like she was walking on eggshells around them, waiting for the inevitable moment she’d make a mistake and they’d turn on her like a pack of rabid dogs.

Rook wasn’t so naïve to believe they’d become patron saints of chastity overnight either. She recognised the lust and desire that burned in their gaze when they watched her sometimes, and occasionally their hands wandered when they got too caught up in a kiss. But they were careful with her, mindful of her limits even if they did toe the line every so often.

Despite that, she also noticed the fierce love that shone in their eyes when they thought she wasn’t looking. It caught her off guard and she didn’t understand it, but while it wasn’t healthy or wholesome by any stretch of imagination, they did love her.

xxx

“Can’t sleep, pup?” Rook spun to find Jacob watching her from the doorway with that same unreadable expression on his face.

“No,” she admitted with a shrug. “I was hoping the tea might help.”

Jacob scoffed, eyeing her cup like it had personally offended him. “Tea’s not gonna do shit for you. C’mere,” he said, beckoning her with a crooked finger. It wasn’t quite an order, but it wasn’t exactly a suggestion either. With one wistful last glance at her tea Rook sighed and made her way dutifully to the eldest Seed.

Once she was within arm’s reach Jacob took hold of her wrist and led her wordlessly back towards her bedroom. It was pointless to protest, but strangely Rook wasn’t worried. Jacob wouldn’t hurt her, he wouldn’t push her beyond where she was comfortable, she believed that despite all evidence to the contrary. Even when he sat down on her bed and pulled her down with him, Rook didn’t fight him. She trusted him, with this at least.

With uncharacteristic gentleness he manoeuvred them both so that she was lying pressed against his broad, muscled chest with one of his arms curling protectively around her waist. 

“Jake?” she asked drowsily when she felt his lips press against the soft skin of her neck, his beard tickling the sensitive skin.

“Just sleep, Rook. I gotcha,” he murmured. 

The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, combined with the warmth of his body and the soft crackling of the dying fire began to slowly lull her to sleep. 

At some point she must have drifted off, because the sound of quiet voices made her stir. 

“If you wake her, I _will_ kill you.” 

“I’m not going to wake her!”

The other side of her bed dipped and Rook felt another warm body settle in front of her. Blearily she forced her eyes open to find a familiar pair of baby blues staring back at her. John. Realising that he had in fact woken her, John gave her a soft, adoring smile as he pressed a loving kiss on the tip of her nose. He didn’t say another word as he pulled the blankets up over the three of them, shuffling in closer to sneak an arm around her waist.

Rook just let her eyes flutter shut, burying her head in the crook of John’s neck, even managing half a smile when he hummed appreciatively. 

That was how Joseph found them the next morning, Rook curled up between his brothers, looking more peaceful in their arms than he’d seen in a long, long time.

He smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked it, leave some kudos or comments if you did! 
> 
> Also, come say hi on Tumblr - @Seedlingsinner :) :) :)


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